Hi! I’m Laquana and I blog over at www.MadebyLaquana.blogspot.com. I’m very excited to be a part of this year’s Day and night challenge! I’d like to thank Elizabeth for giving me the opportunity to share my dresses, it’s truly an honor to be a part of this talented and diverse group of bloggers/vloggers. When Elizabeth asked me to be a part of the challenge, I didn’t hesitate, I’m a dress person so, my go to garment is a dress.

I believe dresses are the complete package, no thinking, you throw it on and you are set! Well, there’s a little more to it, but you basically throw on a dress and a pair of shoes and you’re off. If my dress is secret pajamas, it gets extra points and more wear. For my dresses, I picked a wrap dress and a sheath dress, both are great silhouettes and can be modified to give you tons of different looks.

If I had to define my style, it would be classic functional elegance with a touch of drama. I love well-fitting clothes that are comfortable, stylish and comfortable (did I say that already?). I’m learning to look beyond the pattern envelope and truly make every garment my own. So, when deciding on a dress, it was hard, I love all the dresses! With the help of my sewing friends, I decided to stay with the classics and add a little something, something different to each of them.

Day Dress

It should be no surprise I chose a wrap dress for my day dress. This iconic dress style is a go to for me and I have three in my closet to prove it, It’s a great shape for me and the reason I chose it. This dress is also secret pajamas! Who doesn’t want to walk around comfy and stylish?

I used Vogue 8896, a gathered wrap dress for my first look, the gathers make for easy adjustments for fuller busts and a nice shoulder detail. I wanted something different for my day dress and struggled with how to do that with a wrap dress. I also wanted to also see how I’d like a fuller skirt on my wrap dress, all my other wrap dresses have a slimmer skirt. I had some French Terry knit in two colors, navy blue and blush pink, a great combo for color blocking.

The only changes I made was cutting the left and right front bodice and skirt pieces individually on a single layer of fabric. I marked the left and front so that I wouldn’t get confused. I’m really pleased with the outcome; the French Terry is soft, the fit of the dress is great which makes for a super comfortable and stylish dress, can I get a high five for secret pajamas?!

To style this dress, I threw on metallic slip on sneakers, wood circle earrings, a small clutch and pink necklace. This dress would look great with a denim jacket, flip flops, tote bag and large sunnies too!

Night Dress

I took another basic sheath dress pattern, New Look 6411 and made some modifications to get the cocktail dress I wanted. I like the raglan sleeve and though it would be fun to make that look into a cocktail dress. Normally when I think of raglan sleeves, I think of a more casual garment but the fabric and sleeve really gave this the right amount of class.

Let’s talk about the fabric, I chose a floral print silk/ poly jacquard. This is my first time working with a silk jacquard, it has a slight crinkle effect to it and a nice sheen. The neckline facing, back opening, sleeve hems and hem were all hand sewn, this is new for me, I’m team no hand sewing.

For the modifications, I add a little more design ease to the pattern and self-drafted the sleeve ruffle. I measured the sleeve opening and cut a rectangle 2.5 times that measurement and cut it 6.5 inches wide. I gathered the ruffle and attached them to the sleeves by sewing thing right sides together.

I really like how rich this dress looks, I wanted the fabric to be the highlight so I kept the pattern simple. I’m very pleased with the overall look and I’m glad I took the time to hand sew all the hems and finishes. I like classic pieces so these dresses work for me, I’ve already reached for them when I’ve needed something to wear and that feels awesome!

I styled my night dress with fringe earrings, a deep red lipstick, cute heels and an oversized bag. You can wear a cropped cardigan in your favorite color, silver jewelry, yellow, purple, or green costume jewelry, the back drop of this dress lends itself to lots of different looks.

As I worked on each of these patterns, I noted things I’d like to modify again and things I’d like to change for future dresses. That’s the beauty of sewing your own clothes, they will be what you want, when you want them, in the color you want and they will fit you. I’m so happy to share my dresses and I hope you see how easy it is to modify a simple pattern to get the look you want. In terms of design, the sky is the limit.

Welcome to Elizabeth Made This! I’m so happy that you made it here! Whether you are looking for sewing inspiration, tips and techniques to get you sewing better, faster, and creatively, you will find it right here! I’m a wife and Mom of 4 and sewing is my favorite kind of jigsaw puzzle. Join me in exploring the joy of creating through sewing your own handmade wardrobe. Love, Elizabeth Click here to read more about me.

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